We all have a story to recall from school. A tell tale of humor or a romantic tale or even a time when you skipped school to do something uncalled for. Well I came from a school with a pretty conservative background. From all the expectations I had, hoping I would have a great adventurous "School Life", well it surpassed all of that. You are free to interpret anything.
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So let's get down to business. A crush you had fantasized about in school, well you must be thinking now , yeah been there done that. Like most of you guys I had one too. On one account I was elated with excitement when he called me to chat in private. I was hoping man this would be the day he'd ask me out. He said " My best friend has a massive crush on you, would you go out with him?" didn't see that one coming. I was gravely disappointed, some of you would that man you should at least be flattered. Well not so much this was a half glass empty kinda situation for me.
His friend walks up to me and delivers his light hearted confession (in my perspective). I didn't know how to respond, I told him that I'd think about it. I felt bad that he might have felt an embarrassing rejection of a sort, but I didn't feel the need to mislead him (which by the way I think is one of the biggest crimes).
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He tells me " hey, come on man, is there really so much to think? The thing is Valentine's day is just about the corner, so you guys gotta be together for just about a week and before you know it might as well be over." Well at this point I was bewildered, I was stunned. Two questions popped up in my head
What in the world does he even think of me? Moreover what does he even want.
I was only in ninth grade , n hey readers if you have read my introduction you would probably know of how I had an extremely sheltered upbringing. Well to keep it short I was pretty innocent.
I told him I didn't share the same feelings . He pleaded and "I told him OK". Was I out of my mind? Hell yeah, a moment later I told him that I was sorry and I didn't want to mislead him and that I just couldn't do it.
Well rejection was not his best forte, and well delivering it was probably not mine either. A couple of days later we had a small disagreement which kinda led me to call him a swine. Well that took a toll on me for the worst. A service I caught one of his friends doing him later was not what I could have ever imagine someone do. Written on a wall outside my school building was...
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( Oh damn, just gave away my name, so much for my anonymity)
Hmmm now I wonder what you must be wondering reading this? The truth is the innocent me back then didn't even know what that meant, people looked at me n smiled. People I had never even made any eye contact with, n what the hell I smiled too. Suddenly I felt like the most popular girl in school. Need I add the guys I had the hots for were literally checking me out.
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Sure, "slut" would have meant something? The truth is I got to know that a little later in the day when a friend of mine explained to me what it meant.
I was flustered with humiliation, slut shaming was something incredibly new to me. Slut shaming a virgin? hell that was something else entirely. People saw me in a new light, maybe even tainted with the colour red. I felt like the walking scarlet letter.
MY "best friend" started to question the credibility of my innocence. I never thought she could doubt me, but she just happened to be one of the many. If it wasn't for the only solid back bone I had in my life (my twin sister) I would have collapsed a long time ago with all these bullets firing at me.
Four years later my "best friend" told me that he was sorry, well how was I supposed to react to that (forgive him it's been four long years). I told her I'm sorry I just can't let it go so easy, I guess he hasn't walked through those halls in these shoes.
On hearing about this my twin sister prancing like a boxer on her two feet she stands ready till this very day, like she did back then to yell and shame him, and she's still waiting to give him a black eye and probably even kill him. Man I love her.
I still wonder to this day how an Indian conservative school based in Kerala took no action, and how it suddenly took on such a western culture.
I hope this blog didn't bore you. If you can relate please comment. I know this may not be all that relatable but I just wanted to put it out there.
That's all I guess you guys
Oh, n could you pardon the sketches if you feel they aren't that great. I wanted to simply brighten up this gloomy blog.
That was fun to read. Big story but you managed to keep it light-hearted. And I think those illustrations were great too ;-)
To start with I'm a guy, so sorry I can't relate much. But I have sure been picked upon and I know it wasn't a right corner to be in. Glad you let the story out and that should help you get over the nincompoop's act entirely.
Keep blogging!
Akpan,
Nigeria
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading it.